Remains Of Pilot Who Died In WWII Finally Laid To Rest

Mar 29, 2019

No one ever enjoys attending a funeral but these gatherings can sometimes provide more than an outlet for families to express their grief.

In some cases, laying a family member to rest provides much-needed closure and peace.

As told by the Airforce Times, Lynn W. Hadfield was a 2nd lieutenant in the Air Force when a plane he was piloting was shot down by German forces during World War II. The date was March 21, 1945, and Hadfield was not seen or heard from since his plane went down.

The Hadfield family moved on and expanded since losing Lynn but they never stopped wondering what happened to him.

According to CNN, a researcher named Adolph Hagedorn reached out to the Defence POW/PIA Accounting Agency back in 2016 when he found the crash site in Hülsten-Reken, Germany. They then formed a search team in collaboration with History Flight,  an NGO whose mission is to recover the bodies of fallen troops and return them to the USA for a proper burial and funeral service. 

The location was assessed by the team and the plane was excavated from the crash site. The DNA of the remains inside the plane were then analyzed to confirm they belonged to Hadfield, as well as two other crew members.

The Hadfield family was ecstatic. The date of Lynn's funeral was March 21, 2019. The day was exactly 74 years from the day his plane was shot down.

CL Turner, Hadfield's grandson, took to social media to share his joy. He said his family is happy to reclaim the body of a father and grandfather to them after a lifetime of searching.

I am honored, proud and amazed that after a lifetime of searching we finally have the privilege of bringing our Grandfather and Father home this week.

My family and I are deeply grateful to *everyone* who made this possible, and to my Son-in-Law, SSGT Sean Scheller, who is escorting Lynn's remains home today.

Hadfield's daughter, Mary Ann Turner, was only two years old when her father died. She told the Salt Lake Tribune:

“An emptiness is filled, and I have a lot of peace that I’ve never known before. It’s wonderful.”

What did you think about Lynn Hadfield finally being laid to rest? Were you happy for his daughter and other members of his family? Send this article to friends and family. They will appreciate the story.